I don’t need to believe in the supernatural. Not when there’s worse that roams the night.
— Chapter 11

The words are out before I can stop them, but I don’t feel particularly
regretful. Multiple attempts on my life have taken a toll on my manners.
— Chapter 30

On the off chance that you haven’t encountered this brilliant book on any of your forays into a bookstore let me warmly recommend this to you. I could have sworn that I already talked about it when it was first published, but my records say otherwise. This is the book for you if you enjoy fabulously crafted story universes with a rich background and multiple layered characters woven into a complex plot of intrigue, betrayal, deadly trials, and questions of trust and what it means to remain human in the face of the inhumane. The dual perspective allows for a very interesting view on the proceedings with sometimes overlapping parts that simultaneously manage to clear things up and confuse them in the best possible way. I especially liked that the author took her time for the two protagonists not only to meet but to actually talk and then trust each other. There is an instant interest, but it still remains wary as the other must prove to be trustworthy first.
The best books for me at least are those that make you feel and this doesn’t mean that that make me cry. I raced through parts of this and didn’t feel that I was reading fast enough because I absolutely had to know what happens next. I haven’t felt so anxious, angry, afraid or agonisingly panicked while reading with many books ... and I think that is a quality only the best writers exhibit. You can’t imagine how happy I am that there will be a second book.

Fantasy with a dystopian feeling is not really a Christmas setting, but then again the story of expecting parents who have to take shelter in a stable because there wouldn’t fit anywhere else and then have to flee that place as well because they are prosecuted isn’t in itself a happy one. Whether or not you’re celebrating Christmas this week I wish you a peaceful and tranquil couple of days with joy and happiness wherever possible. And as always please share your teasers in the comments.

As I spoke, I realized I’d held these words in for so long and so tightly that I felt the space they left empty once released. It was vast enough that I could think of nothing to follow them.— Chapter 5

“Not everything. Just candy, French fries, and love.” She smiled at me. “All the important stuff.”
— Chapter 6

Readers, this book made me crave pizza. And not in a fleeting way but in the sense of I can almost feel the cheesy goodness and I want it now! And after I’ve said this I can safely say that this is shaping up to be my favourite Sarah Dessen book yet. Even though I don’t have a delinquent older brother and didn’t go to an entitled high school it is so easy to understand Sydney and empathise with her. Parents in YA literature often disappear or do crappy at their job, but here you can tell that they are just as overwhelmed by the situation and trying to hold on and hold everything together as best as they can ... even though the ship has already met the iceberg.
I also like that the first focus is not on a romance aspect but rather on a friendship. Layla is basically the perfect friend a girl could wish for and I’m just so curious to read what her brother is up to ... and if that feeling about the creepy guy is valid. Rule of thumb: If your gut reaction tells you that a guy is fishy, chances are that your gut is right. The human race would not have survived this long if our instincts weren’t somehow reliable ... given that you’re not an anxious person who suspects the trees might be plotting against them.

We’re entering the run up to the end of the year (cue mild panic), how are your goals and challenges tallying up? Despite the fact that I thought I wouldn’t be able to read as many recordable books this year that one is looking nicely. Share statistics (if you like) and teasers in the comments!

One wrong move during a delicate experiment. One mistake. One accident.
One is such a deceptively small number.
— Chapter 2

Great. These two can’t talk to each other, and I can’t talk at all. This should be fun.
— Chapter 18

Off the top of the head how many fairy tales can you name? Now subtract all that have been adapted into a Disney movie of some sort. The good news: Disney and Co. won’t run out of material any time soon. This book is adapted from a tale most people won’t have named, because it’s one of the lesser known ones. But even then you won’t necessarily find the wild swans in the story unless you look for them very hard. At its heart, this is a sci-fi coming of age story with a hint of romantic love but mostly family and what one is willing to do and endure for them. This book is only for readers who like to get very close to the main character as almost all of the book is inner monologue and observations since the heroine cannot speak. Or should I say mustn’t? Anyway, she eventually finds means of communication but let me tell you how much I am now an advocate to keep writing by hand a vital part of our culture. Typing is nice and easy but how soon will be completely rely on voice commands? And boy are we in trouble if that suddenly doesn’t work anymore.
I had a few issues with the story, mostly because of missed connections and failed communication ... or lacking trust. But if we can’t trust our neighbour to be a reasonable human, how should the main character trust complete strangers (from different species) to behave in an honourable way?

Do you read sci-fi? At which point is it too out there for you? I personally don’t appreciate being bombarded with technical details and being expected to remember how a certain thing worked some fifty odd pages later. Let’s hear from you in the comments!

Focus on the goal. Don’t get sidetracked. Don’t let fear take hold of you – fear s a seed that, once planted, never stops growing.
— Chapter 3

Holding on to some part of your past even if it means also holding on to the pain of never again having it. That pain is less horrible than the pain of forgetting.
— Chapter 14

In honour of the first serious snowflakes last weekend here is one of the few books where Winter is not the enemy! At least when the other seasons are involved as well, winter usually gets cast in the more unpleasant role. Must have something to do with its sunny and warm disposition. But I digress. First book in a proposed trilogy with a few really nice touches so far. Keeping in mind what I said about the unnecessity to reinvent the wheel when the wheel is a perfectly good invention I have no objection to building new chassis to hold said wheels. I liked a lot of things about this book, for example Meira as a main character with strengths and weaknesses ... I can’t resist stubborn girls who don’t accept their fate at face value. Even if she was a tiny bit thick to grasp something I had been wondering about since about page ten. But she was running for her life and other things, so maybe that’s an excuse. And then there is that thing with another geometrical form which I’m so not a fan of ... I really hope it dissolves itself somehow. Pleasantly preferably, but don’t ask me how.

Does anyone else picture fear like that nasty weed in the garden you can’t get rid of no matter what you try? I know there isn’t just one of those, but I like to think that every garden has its own kind that could symbolise your personal fear. What’s your most effective fear-weedkiller? Let’s hear from you in the comments!

Don’t do this because you think you have to. Do it because you want to. Only if you want to.
— 53%

Not someone you chose—someone the fates assigned you, someone who, under any other circumstances, might never have given you a second look, nor you him. Someone you would die for and kill for without a second thought, because he was family.
— 66%

The very last short story in the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy series and as the back cover says someone lives and someone dies. In true Cassie fashion it’s not unreasonable (in a way as there were signs and all that jazz) but it’s still a swift kick and double punch in the feels. There were also other aspects about this story that I liked seeing as for example how Magnus’ flat has changed due to a certain addition to the family. And Izzy, fierce, fabulous, lovable Izzy with her tender warrior heart. I’ll dearly miss having the TMI cast as main characters and will hunt for every morsel of information in the books to come. But at the same time I can hardly wait for the new characters to take over the scene and tell their story.
This short story collection was a perfect way to tie up a few loose ends and give a proper good bye to the characters. Now the wait for the new full book begins in earnest. Is it March yet?

While we all want the next book in a series sooner rather than later sometimes things get in the way. What is the longest you’d be willing to wait between books? 18 months? 2 years? Longer? Share your opinion and teasers in the comments.

“That’s the problem with you rich kids,” I said, hearing myself turn snide. “You’re never prepared for life when it happens.”
— Chapter 23

“If you kiss me, I promise I won’t hit you,” she said.
“Wow. That was almost … romantic,” I said.
— Chapter 26

There are a great number of things I want to say about this book, but the first thing that comes to my mind and vehemently demands to be said is “unexpected”. I don’t quite know what I was expecting from Kat Spear’s new book and therefore I cannot with all certainty say if the story honestly surprised me ... but it’s fair to say that this was quite different. Sure, there is the troubled male character I already knew she can write well, but his troubles were very different from those of Jesse “Sway” Alderman. For one instance, they are not self-made, at least not all of them. No one can choose the family and circumstances they are born into or whether or not they are the in the centre or on the margins of the family’s attention. But a few things are influenceable, like the choice of friends and how they are treated.
When is anyone ever truly prepared for the moment life happens? Yes, there are measures one can take to cushion the blow, but in the end if one wants to live, it will be necessary to find an acceptable balance between the amount of hurt one is willing to risk and the possibility to experience life. There are some hard truths in this book. There is no guarantee for a fulfilled life, no matter how much it is deserved or struggled towards. Sometimes reality is just furiously unfair. And I also think that is why this book is able to elicit so many different responses, because for example either the reader recognises and accepts that it is a contemporary depiction of one possible truth or they reject the story for its very nature. I have to admit that it took me a while to accept the end as it is very true to the story: where it begins right in the middle of something it also left me as a reader feeling as if I was yanked right out of it again. The edges are very frayed and raw. Life, as depicted, is messy and seldom neatly tied up, not matter where or when the observation begins or ends.
And while I know that it is extremely unlikely that it will all turn out well with rainbows and unicorns for all the characters, I really hope that they will be able to find a way to live their life to the fullest within the mostly limiting parameters they find themselves in. There is always hope and the aspiration to make to most out of the hand one is dealt. Anything less makes characters in stories and people in general uninteresting.

Writing this actually helped me appreciate the book more. It probably won’t make it onto the same shelf as Sway, but I understand the story better. Has there been a book that suddenly clicked for you the longer you thought/wrote about it? Let’s hear about it and your teaser in the comments!

I take no actions that I wouldn’t publicly recount. If you can’t speak your deeds, then don’t do them.
— Chapter 27

In our first meeting, you skewered me with your sword. In other words: you started it.
— Chapter 29

Third book in the Arcana Chronicles ... and not a trilogy, which wasn’t unexpected, but the end still completely gutted me. Luckily for me I managed to wait this long to read this one so the next won’t be a year away. That would have been brutal and everyone already suffering has my complete sympathies.
Without spoiling the first two books there isn’t much to be said about the plot of this, but the more I think about it the more I love the fact that I completely changed my mind about several of the characters from when they were first introduced up until now. Usually this could be a sign of bad characterisation skills yet in this case it’s actually a great way of showing how first impressions and prejudices (in the story as well as introduced by tropes) can influence character perception. The author uses a very subtle way to shift these perceptions – or I at least thought so, because I can’t completely pinpoint when I started liking one character and mistrust another one. Or when I started caring so much for one (or two) of them that the last few pages turned me into a total mess.
I absolutely liked the news that this series will be at least five books (even if that means at least one and a half years of turmoil, but when am I not hanging from at least one cliff – not literally!). Not sure what to make of the movie/TV announcement though as I am growing more and more sceptical of the conversion of books I love into movies and the likes. Burnt child dreads the flame syndrome.

Are you currently hanging from a book series cliff? Or having feelings about book-to-screen adaptions? Share both or any along with your teasers in the comments.

“You think you’re more clever than me.”
It was true, but I supposed I should show him a bit of deference. “I am female. That comes with a few advantages.”
“Such as?”
“Understanding and perception, a unique worldview, and the power that comes with being constantly underestimated.”
— Chapter 10

“I don’t understand the need for power, really. There are more important pursuits.”
“Only those who have never felt powerless can afford to think like you.”
— Chapter 10

Two teasers from the same chapter. But I really couldn’t choose between the two and while there are other brilliant sentences in the book, these two really encompass all that I love about it. Yes, Sherlock is crazy smart and a savant genius, but who’s to say that Moriaty isn’t as well and can give him a run for his money? I also enjoy that the explanation of how the two became mortal enemies is that such a deep feeling must be born from another deep feeling and a severe betrayal of trust. Very clever and admirably executed. I feel so sad on behalf of them, because they would have been absolutely amazing together. Here we have a perfect tragedy (as opposed to a tragic event) where the protagonists are set on a path to ruin from the very beginning either by fate or in this case their family history and very nature. There was a minimal chance that this could have been solved differently, but then the characters wouldn’t have been true to themselves and therefore believable.
Confession: The plot doesn’t reinvent the wheel. But honestly, why should anyone have to reinvent it when the wheel is a perfectly fine tool? Only get back to me about that when someone has finally managed to build an affordable hover-board or a functional teleportation device. Until then wheels are just splendid. And this series will use your heartstrings as a harp. Can have the next one, please?

Down to business: Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock? And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, name your favourite detective along with sharing your teasers in the comments!

“You are powerful, mi Adelinetta,” she says, “but you have all the charisma of a burnt potato pudding.”
“I like burnt potato pudding. It’s smoky.”
— Chapter 6

On his fourth night as prisoner, the queen finally sends for him.
He goes in chains.
— Chapter 14

So much could be said about noble roses and the supposed queen of flowers ... and yet everyone will complain about thorns and scratches. If you’re looking for the beauty and the fragrant smell of roses, look elsewhere. But if you don’t mind the more vicious and pointy aspects of the flower, this specimen might be to your liking.
Flower talk and imagery aside, this is anything but a pretty and frothy story (but it still allows humour). Adelina is far from your nice girl next door with the benevolent magical powers and the path she entered, or depending on perspective was entered on in the last book only continues in its dark direction. Every villain is the hero of their own story and I like a well-layered character. In fact, from Adelina’s perspective it all makes perfect sense and it is very interesting to follow her reasoning and choices. But if you remove yourself from the immediate action and consider what just happend, this series will get you thinking about moral compasses and sympathetic judgement.
I can’t fully support any of the characters as all of them aren’t morally unblemished. Yet sometimes that is entirely too much to ask for and everyone will have to choose between their two or possibly more evils.
I can imagine that this wasn’t easy to write and I keep admiring Marie Lu for her clever plotting and superb character building. Even though she clearly belongs to the guild of authors who collect their readers’ anguish.

Are there morally ambiguous characters you recommend who don’t necessarily twist reality until it supports their choices but who would be deemed as villains for their actions if the story was told from another perspective? Let’s hear from you in the comments.

So I was officially sixteen. For my present, I got cornered by Uncle Freaky, who announced that I was marked for assassination.
— Chapter 3

“Well, I live a double life. Tonight, I’ll escort you to dinner. Then I have to rush home and finish my calculus homework.”
“You’re not joking, are you?”
“I never joke about calculus homework”.
— Chapter 12

The first thing I realised when I started this book was that while I was quite on top of things concerning all things Greek, Roman, and Egyptian gods I really need to brush up on my Norse mythology if I want to understand all the references. Sure, you can enjoy Rick Riordan without the extra layer, but it is literally double the fun if you get to laugh at all the jokes.
I will dearly miss Percy and the crew of demigods, but I’m very optimistic that I’ll like Magnus Chase just as much. And if you’re wondering about the surname, I’ll have to say that some traits are obviously hereditary. This is a promising start to a great new adventure and I couldn’t imagine a better author to tackle this complex field.

If you had the choice of which circle of gods your family was related to, would you choose Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse or something else altogether? Share preferences and teasers in the comments.

My anger burns like the flame of a struck match but dies out just as fast. Because we don’t have to inherit everything from our mothers. Their fights don’t have to become ours.
— Chapter 27

I don’t approach giddiness lightly. I may have never before been in sniffing distance of giddiness. I may have never before used the word “giddiness”.
— Chapter 33

How often a day do you say or think the phrase “I wish ...”? And how often do you actually wish for the thing you’re asking? And I mean really wish as in need instead of just wanting to indulge? And now imagine that a) there were creature that can actually make your deepest wish come true and b) even figure out by themselves which wish is your absolute heart’s desire with no problems. Sounds like a really good thing and everyone gets to be happy. The end.
That would be pretty amazing but not very book-worthy with no conflict and all. So make the wish-granter a teenaged girl with all the insecurities despite not being human and also a boat load to psychological baggage. Add in some rebellion from said teenager at her destiny, a bunch of frenemies, family secrets, and a dictatorial ruling entity and there you have a plot worth telling. Season to taste with fun dialogue, several intriguing sub-plots, and themes of friendship and romance.

This is not due to the anniversary edition of the Aladdin DVD, I promise. Even though I love that movie and think that Genie was what made the movie. I don’t know what I’d do with three wishes ... I have some ideas, but I find the idea of having just one really interesting and worth considering. Would the number make a difference to your wish? It obviously can’t be getting a hundred wishes. Mastering a skill? Curing a disease? Finding a solution for a global problem? I’d really like to know what you’d come up with! Share wishes and teasers in the comments.

“And the idea is to start at the beginning.”
“So this is a chronological scavenger hunt then.”
“It’s not a scavenger hunt at all. Think of it more like a refresher course.”
“A refresher course in what?”
She smiles at him over the top of the car. “Us.”
— Chapter 1

Just one teaser today for two reasons: I don’t want to spoil any of it for you and I have a really hard time right now to find a place that would make any sort of sense without context. So there you have it, one teaser from the very beginning.
This book is slightly different from Jennifer E. Smith’s usual plot lines as this is not so much about a couple getting to know each other and falling in love but a couple getting to un-know each other with all the things they think are true about the other. It’s highly sort of heartbreaking and romantic at the same time, and since I think I know the outcome all the more so.
I’m almost certain that ultimately I won’t like this as much as The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, but then again that one is hard to top. Maybe it’s the general topic. There is always hope so maybe things will turn out alright.

Are you the clean break sort of person? Not necessarily in the sense of romantic relationships but as a general way of dealing with endings? I’m an “end with terror than terror without end” sort of person I think ... let me know in the comments if you like and share your teasers.

“I’m not an idiot! I’m just twelve. I’m a twelve-year-old girl and neither of those facts are my fault.”
I was thirteen when I saw my mother die, when I told my story. When I started “having a hard time,” as my grandfather likes to say. Would they have locked me up if I’d been thirty? If I’d been a boy? It’s a question I do not dare to ask.
— Chapter 20

Question first: How reliable do you like you narrator? If you want to trust the narrator with all your possessions and possibly your life this is – and I say that in a loving way – completely not the book for you. But if you like to keep on your toes and question even the motive of the very last secondary character, this will be right up your alley. I want to trust Grace and believe her when she cries wolf, but there are only so many times you can recover from a wild goose chase ... or an almost international incident.
I have always been interested in the diplomatic services and would have considered this as a career choice had I been a little more adventurous. And a little less prone for homesickness. Reading about it is a close second best and I am very much looking forward to the next instalment ... for once, I really hope that Russia makes a comeback.

Tell me about a narrator you would trust to always be truthful and a narrator who is less trustworthy than the seediest web address. Share them and your teasers in the comments.

“I don’t want to be your son! I want to be your daughter who matters to you as much as a son would.”
— Chapter 24

My enemies have weapons and magic and riches and ships and all the might of kingdoms at their disposal. But they don’t have me.
— Chapter 35

I’m a very sporty person ... when it comes to spectator sports. And reading is a very good way of establishing spectatorship (almost wrote spectator-ing there. Oh well, you know what I mean. Right?) The Fives are actually a very sophisticated five tier obstacle course where the player runs against three opponents. Think Takeshi’s Castle meets American Gladiators but without the safety nets, breaks or soft foam ground.This might be fun to watch, minus the possibility of being crushed and falling to your death of course. I enjoyed the description of Jes running through the courses and felt that this was a very immediate and action-packed part of the book. I also liked the background story of Jes’s family and their cultural struggle.
My only complaint is that I don’t quite get the attraction between Jes and Kal. If it weren’t for the kissing this would be a perfectly fine friendship between the two and the impact of what happens at the end would have had a similar impact. This will maybe play a bigger role in the books to come, but for this book it felt more like an afterthought. This doesn’t necessarily deduct from the main story, especially if you’re actually looking for a book that doesn’t seem to have a glowing love story at its centre.

Are you a sports spectator? Be that via television or reading. I find that if such a scene is well-written the reading experience is definitely comparable to watching a match on TV. Leave your thoughts and teasers in the comments.

I’ve been called crazy for years, but do you know what crazy is? Crazy is being able to see what your daughter is going through, and not being able to do anything about it.
— Chapter 4

“Well, I’m glad I didn’t completely ruin your life.”
“Oh, you still ruined it,” he said, breaking into a huge grin. “I mean, I’m in a tent in a hole in the ground. Not exactly a step up.”
— Chapter 10

Remember that I talked about that Rowan character a couple of weeks ago? Well here you get the second feature length book he’s in and we don’t actually get to see things from his perspective, because that would make things so much easier to understand ... at least for the reader. For the characters to understand each other they would have to communicate and do so without lies by omission and assuming to know what’s best for another person. All that does is make things especially messy. But then we’d have no plot and the whole thing would be kind of pointless. So miscommunication it is.
This is a solid second book which picks up right where the first left off and offers new and interesting twists ... and also some really gut-wrenching ones. I’m still not over what I call the pronoun-differentiation-solution. And that other thing I won’t spoil for you which is also driving me nuts and will for another year. On a logical level, I understand that books take time to write and edit and print, but I doubt that my brain will ever convince my heart that this is more than torture on an emotional level.

There is another quote in this book (aha, you say, more teaser material) that has me thinking quite a bit:

Love is being willing to become the villain so that the one you love can stay a hero.
— Chapter 11

In this case the villain part is pretty drastic, and I suppose people are willing to endure and do a lot for the ones they love. If only you knew of all the choices and consequences, would you choose to be (perceived as) a villain in order to protect someone else? Share thoughts and teasers in the comments.

That first year, while my family wandered around in the fog of grief, was the best of any year since. We were all lost together in the same way. During the Fog Year, nothing made sense to anybody.
— Chapter 4

“Ugh, is it possible to have a hangover without ever going to sleep?”
“You’re asking the wrong guy.”
“Yes, because for once you are the B-E-T-T-E-R child. Congratulations.”
— Chapter 7

Without delving too deeply into religious matters, because a) it’s not my place and b) you don’t want to know about my opinion, this book is really great no matter what your point of view is ... well unless you were really disappointed that the world didn’t end at some point during the last few years. But with that exception, there is no one I wouldn’t recommend this book to as the topic of religious beliefs is dealt with in a very nuanced way. (I almost wrote critically, but the cultural conses at the moment seems to be that criticism is always negative and trying to tear someone/something down ... no, to examine something critically actually means to look at it from all angles without a pre-defined opinion ... but that’s a different kettle of fish so therefore nuanced).
What I really admire about this book are the two timelines at work that perfectly dovetail. Just not at the point where you think they would and I think this is very clever. And I love the slow unravelling of two mysterious plots in each timeline even if they are directly connected and one cannot exist without the other.
So do not balk at this book just because there is religion in it. In the end it’s just a book with a really good story. And quite a bit of baseball, which can also be a sort of religion I suppose.

In accordance with the main character’s misdeed (as he is basically late to get home and therefore misses the moment of salvation): Which is the single most important or memorable thing you have ever been late for? Share your stories and teasers in the comments.

It’s time to finish another series and say goodbye to a cast of characters that has grown on me over the last books ... and years. But before that, they’ll still have to do something as insignificant as stop ancient powers from taking control over them and the world. All in a day’s work. Not really, This is something I appreciate about this series: That you get a sense of time passing, of Katie getting used to the idea of living in a foreign culture and adapting as best as she can during that time. And of course all the wonderful impressions from Japan ... second hand travel and all that. I’m not quite certain what to wish for at the moment as I am at a point in the book where a happy end seems sort of possible, but at what cost? I’m very curious to find out how all of this will be resolved.

Which end of a series has impressed you the most? This could be a happy end or a bittersweet end. Let’s hear from you in the comments.

Songs aren’t blood. Blood is all that matters to Shadowhunters and faeries alike. The songs matter only to me.
— Chapter 1

What is a Shadowhunter made of, if they desert their own, if they throw away a child’s heart like rubbish left on the side of the road? Tell me, Simon Lewis, if that is what Shadowhunters are, why would I wish to be one?
— Chapter 1

Usually, I don’t think that writers actually sit down and hatch a plot (ha!) with the intent to break a reader’s heart. And then there are authors of the ilk of Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan ... and woe if the two of them plot together. There must be a health condition of heart palpitations named after them for caring too much about their fictional characters.
I love how this mini-series is a bridge between the much beloved Mortal Instruments and the coming Dark Artifices. It’s so hard to let go of characters who have accompanied you for so long and this way there are still glimpses of them. Their main story might be over but it’s so good to see them alive and reasonably well or on the way to getting there. It’s also a great way to get to know new characters before officially meeting them as main characters for the first time in their own series. At the same time the stories are independent enough that you won’t have not a clue of half of what happened if you pick up the next book without reading the bridge. You’re just missing a really great story in itself. I really want Simon to succeed at the academy and to get his memories back. Team Good is not complete without him. And I really want to know since when Jace is a hugger ... just for research purposes of course.

Which authors do you suspect collects their readers’ tears to sustain them? And I mean this in a totally loving and respectful way. I know that my previously mentioned fragile reader’s heart is in the best hands to be delicately handled and only mildly tortured with my best interests in mind ... right?
Let’s hear from you and your teasers in the comments.

Sleep has never been easy for me, not like it is for city folk. I’ve never met an Outlander who couldn’t wait to open his eyes and see the day. To know he made it through one more night.
— Chapter 1

Above ground and out in the open and I feel like I can breathe again. Danger is immediate and basic in the woods, and I’ve always been more comfortable with that than with the hidden barbs and double speak of the city.
— Chapter 1

How often have I wondered was was going on in some other person’s mind or how something looked from their perspective. Books already allow you the unique possibility to experience something from inside someone’s head who is not you. And still you wonder if that singular point of view doesn’t miss something. Sometimes, authors will give you the opportunity to delve into another character for a while and I think this can greatly enhance the understanding of the plot or as in this case add another level to the story. Sure, Lily could discern a lot of what happened, but it is quite different to actually experience it from Rowan’s perspective. And I like that more publishers and authors are beginning to use the possibility of e-shorts to enrich their books. Sure, some might think of this as rip-off and that the author better write on the actual book. However, I think that authors sometimes need to do these character studies anyway to get to know them better and then why not use this exercise? Okay, maybe we could talk about the cost-benefit ratio a little ... nevertheless, it’s a really great way to bridge the last few days of waiting until the second book is released. And I for one can barely wait to get my hands on it!
This e-short won’t make any sense if you haven’t read book one, Trial by Fire. But if you have and liked it, then I recommend you take a look at this. It may be short and basically just tells the same plot as the first few chapters of the first book, but I’m certain that you’ll glean quite a bit of additional information from it and that you’ll be able to understand Rowan so much better ... also considering his relationship to Tristan and general outlook on life as a whole.

Which character would you like to have an additional perspective from and from which book? I’ll be happy to hear from you in the comments.

That’s when I remember to check my cell—I don’t think I’ve ever gone so long without checking it—and discover four missed calls from the school number I dialed earlier, two missed calls from my mother, a text from Dad telling me I’m grounded (I wasn’t aware he knew how to send texts), ten texts from my brother demanding an explanation for why I went off the grid on shadow day, and one from Jordan telling me to disregard everything my brother says and enjoy myself.
— Chapter 6

Family can’t always help fix a difficult situation, and everybody makes mistakes. We shouldn’t expect perfect. But we can hope that the people we love love us enough to try to make it right.
— Chapter 15

Sometimes you just need to listen to some good old country music to relax to ... or at least read about it and a girl who is decidedly not into this music, but still falls for the prince of country. Reluctantly. Very reluctantly. And in case you haven’t heard of the song this title alludes to, you should check it out. I won’t judge you if you prefer the version made popular by Glee a while back. What is great about Miranda Kenneally’s series is that you don’t necessarily have to read the books as a series, but if you read all of them you get to check in with beloved characters from earlier books. In this case we get to see Jordan and Sam again and I adored catching a glimpse of their matured but certainly not entirely mature relationship. And still this doesn’t take away from the two new main characters at all and I have to say that I loved that the focus was on something other than sport for a change but still heavily on the realising and following one’s dream ... all in the course over falling in love, of course. I appreciated Maya’s attitude of wanting to make it on her own, but finding the strength to rely on her support system. And her determination to in a way save Jesse from himself and the ideals he was chasing.
A very sweet read that rings true and authentic in its character development (even if in some instances forgiveness seems to come too easily, but one girl can only bear so much drama over the course of one book). I recommend this with a good bowl of ice-cream and a shadowy place beneath a tree on a hot summer day.And now I want a friend like Dave ... and Casper, the cat. (Great, I’ll be the cat lady Maya has now avoided becoming ...)

What do you think about same universe but not quite sequels book series? Love to stay in the familiar environment with cameos of former main characters or would you rather not look at them? Share opinions and teasers in the comments!

They talk about “body language,” as if we all speak it the same. But everyone has their own dialect. For me right now, for example, swiveling
my body right away and staring rigidly at the corner means, “I like you.” Because I didn’t run away and shut myself in the bathroom. I just
hope he realizes that.
— Chapter 11

He didn’t say anything. He stopped mid-sentence.
Except that stopping mid-sentence is the worst thing people can do. It’s, like, totally passive aggressive, because you can’t take issue with anything they’ve said. You have to take issue with what you think they were going to say.
Which then they deny.
— Chapter 14

Some authors, who are enormously successful on the adult side of publishing, sometimes get it into their heads, maybe egged on by their publicist, to try their hand on writing for a younger audience. In most cases the result reads like a mix of what they seem to remember liking when they were young and what they think a book for this age group should sound like. And if it’s not patronising, you’re in luck.
However, Sophie Kinsella managed this transition with an elegance that is admirable. Her voice is neither bland nor does the story seem shallow. I think she has found a very relevant topic and put it into a story that speaks to readers off all age groups ... possibly mostly the female percentage, but you can’t expect a tiger to change its stripes altogether. And why not address the audience you have anyway and organically expand it downwards? That’s certainly healthier than forcing out a book that should have never seen the light of day.
Audrey is in her own way a very relatable character. Maybe not every girl feels the need to hide from the outside world behind large sunglasses, but everyone has experienced situations where they would have rather run away than stay just a second longer. I like the characterisation of our lizard brain and I also like that the problem isn’t magically resolved completely, but that the reader gets to see steps of improvement as well as setbacks.

Do you know of other adult authors who have published books for a younger audience that you can recommend? Share them and your teasers in the comments.

The first shall be last; the last shall be first; the meek shall do some earth-inheriting. But before we can radically reshape the world, we need to shop.
— Part 1 / Chapter 2

We don’t suffer from a shortage of metaphors, is what I mean. But you have to be careful which metaphor you choose, because it matters.
— Part 3 / Chapter 22

Here is how I found myself re-reading John Green, an exercise in two steps. One: In preparation for seeing the movie (which I haven’t yet, because it only opens here this week) I re-watched the trailers and found myself wondering about a few of my favourite quotes. Time to verify! Two: My weekend is mostly gone and I have re-read and highlighted four books. I find that I now liked different aspects and passages than the first time I read them (I’d still always highlight the first-read bits, but I now have even more). I suppose that it is true that quote we like and share in the end tell more about us than about the person who said or wrote them.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing the movie and comparing it to the book. I don’t think that movies have to be a one to one adaption of a book, because they can’t be; but they have to be truthful to the character if they want to call themselves book to movie adaptions. Otherwise they’re just movies. And a good one, I think, can expand the book’s universe because both media can show and do things that the other can’t.

What are your thoughts on book to movie adaptions? Share movies that were you liked – or didn’t in the comments along with your teasers. And let me know if you’ve been to the cinema or plan to go to see Paper Towns.

“If you interfere in my affairs again, I’ll personally feed you to the Dead.”
I scoffed. And if you ever get in my way, I’ll personally feed you to my mother.
— Chapter 10

If anyone asked me which Teams I am on, I’d possibly say Human, Vampire, Werewolf, Good, Unicorn ... or something like that, depending on mood and book. You would probably never hear Zombie. I’m not a Zombie reader and the undead are one of the few things to freak me out (and spiders, but that’s another kettle of fish). So a plot with zombie hunters and possible voodoo has a hard time to make it onto my radar. This is most likely why I haven’t read this series yet, but I’m very much in the process of rectifying that omission. Because creepy zombies aside, this historical setting is decidedly fascinating and don’t get me started on mysterious shenanigans. Add to that an exasperatingly stubborn and crafty main character and this promises to be an entertaining read.

Which aspect would make you hesitant to pick up a book? Share team affiliations and teasers in the comments!

“No dragons in the kitchen. The neighbors would have a fit.”
— Part II / 4

The positive effect of starting a series late is that often you get to read two books in a row, maybe more if you were really holding back. I enjoyed this second instalment well enough, but I think that it’s good that we’ll now spend some time apart. Otherwise I might consider having words with a stubborn dragon girl about several things and I don’t think that I’m fireproof. I also have a serious problem with that Riley/Cobalt character as I can only understand part of his motives and I don’t think that he is actually fit to be a companion for anyone. And let’s not even talk about the two organisations at play. Something is very rotten ... and not in the state of Denmark.
In summary: Can everyone please get their act together until 2016 for book three? No? ... That’s what I thought since this will be a five book thing. Thanks for that. Until then I’ll invest in some sort of fire proof gear in case that I have to have words with several potentially fire-breathing creatures about how to handle things ... like poor, breakable human hearts. Poor human(s).

Do you binge-read series or authors? If you, after how many books do you feel that you might need a break or change of flavour? Let’s hear from you in the comments!

“Are you a good spy?”
“The best.”
“A good spy would hide her identity.”
“The best spies don’t have to.”
— Chapter 5

“You can’t foresee the future. And there’s nothing you can do about the past.”
“You’re wrong. I can learn from it . . .”
— Chapter 9

Potentially leading question: Have you ever been to an Arabian style palace or its remains? My family took me on a trip to southern Spain when I was younger where we visited the Alhambra palace. I vividly remember that my imagination was running wild in that amazing place and I was thinking how life must have been there. I also remember that I was fascinated by the idea that women were this prized possession that had to be kept away from prying eyes ... and I remember wondering if all those women actually liked being such a possession. All these and many more memories came to mind during this book which is so refreshingly located in a culture so very different from my own but still has this incredible mix of inspiring characters.
There are a few aspects that make this story great but not awesome. I would have liked a little more emotional insight in certain moments instead of a tactful fade to black or character cut. And if the retelling of some of the Arabian Nights myths is such an important part of the story, I wish it would have had more prominence regarding Shahrzad spinning those tales. But apart from that I have to say that I absolutely adored how she slowly but surely dug through the caliph’s defences ... and her own reservations as well.
I also really liked the side characters. I want a Despina and a Jalal ... and possibly a Tariq, but I’m not quite convinced that he isn’t a stubborn and possibly blinded fanatic. I’ll have to see what happens in the continuation of the story ... which won’t be out until next year. Oh cruel world!

Are you going on any summer travels? This might be via books or in person. Share your destinations and teasers in the comments!

“I’ll be back at 0500. If you don’t hear from me in a couple hours, I’ve probably been eaten by a dragon.”
“Fine. If you don’t hear from me by then, it’s because I hope you were.”
— Part I/10

“Kristin, I swear, if I have to watch you try on shoes for an hour, I’m going to eat your boyfriend. With a fork.”
— Part I/19

Do you hear that whooshing noise? That’s my good intentions going out the window, don’t mind them if they rush past you. I wanted to wait until the trilogy was complete before I started this book even if I already had it on my shelf, because I know what the author will most likely do to me again ... two series have taught me that. But then I found out that there are going to be five books and there is no way that I was going to wait that long. So emotional roller coaster torture it is.
I really like Julie Kagawa’s kind of humour. It’s not always laughing out loud funny (though it can be that, too), but also surprised snort laughing. Kind of like what Ember does to Garret the first time they meet. I predict disastrous heartbreak with wrongful accusations and terrible misunderstandings. Maybe even a severe dose of triangularity. And don’t correct me, if I’m wrong. In that case, I’d like to be surprised.

Whom could you have eaten for breakfast lately? Alternatively tell me if you’re giving a series a head start before you catch up to it at the moment.

“There was so much I was trying not to say. I guess it was easier to talk about nothing than about how much I missed you.”
— Chapter 13

“I want to be able to stand in front of a room full of people and actually be able to say the thing I want to say,” she told him.
“And I want to be able to stand in front of just one person and say the thing I want to say.”
— Chapter 13

Confession: I have a dichotomous feeling about e-shorts. Sometimes I love them for expanding the world of a story I already love or want to dip into before committing to the whole series or to build a bridge between two main books. And then there are those that I’m torn about because they add to what I perceived to be the end. This is one from the second category. I loved the end of This Is What Happy Looks Like in the sense that it closed the story but was still open to interpretation. This addition tells me that after the end one thing happened which necessitated this addition. Don’t get me wrong, more Graham and Ellie is definitely not a bad thing, but I would have thought that things had played out differently than described in this short story. I can arrange with how it ends now, but I really hope that now they aren’t just happy again but also stay that way.

What are your feelings on e-shorts? One disadvantage it their restriction to a digital medium, but on the other hand they’re really suited for it and wouldn’t really work in print. Share your opinions and teasers in the comments!

I don’t like it when angels murmur in agreement. Nothing good ever comes of that.
— Chapter 33

Knowing about the horrors that have happened and will happen but choosing to live anyway. Maybe there’s an art to being human.
— Chapter 57

I was wrong ... but I was also right. As this is mildly confusing, let me elaborate a little: Back in 2012 I told myself that I would read no more angel books because I was so over them but that I’d make an exception if the book didn’t have a love story front and centre. Luckily, I excluded series I had already started ... yes, I like to hoodwink myself when it seems opportune. This series is very much a love story and a lot of things are very much driven by this love, but it is never sappy or the single driving force. More like a creeping vine and before you know it you’re completely entangled.
Most series make you wait about a year between books but this series started out as a wee indie and it has been a great pleasure to watch it build momentum and be picked up by a bigger publisher over the years even if the two year waits between the instalments were agonisingly long.
As implied in the name, this is the angel-apocalypse to end all angel-apocalypses, no further candidates need to apply. This series calls for a re-read now that all books are available and can be read back to back. As much fun as theorising between two books can be, there are details that are bound to get lost between book one and three if they are separated by almost four years. And to anyone who might not be satisfied by the end: The world in this series as we know it ended, there was an actual apocalypse. Don’t expect everything will magically go back to normal because the beauty of this is also in showing how the main character endures and tries to make the best of her situation no matter what. Now excuse me, I need to have a good wail over the fact that some things that were logical to happen were also heart-wrenching and beautiful in their perfect imperfection ... which is again mildly confusing but in this case you’ll need to read the series and the end to understand how this impression is achieved.

I’m usually a little sceptical when it comes to indie-published stories, but as the exception proves the rule I’m always open to suggestions. If you have recommendations for a book that has been overlooked by the major publishing houses please share them in the comments along with your teaser.

The more I thought of it, the more I realized that I rarely fought with anyone. I didn’t like fighting. I disagreed with people in my head a lot but rarely out loud.
— Chapter 20

“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Did you know those two words make up the most-told lie in the English language?”
— Chapter 32

Low blood sugar levels coinciding with a serious lack of sweet fluff? Well, I can’t provide you with chocolate, but I can certainly offer a cute recommendation for your literary craving. Value-added insights on life and relationships with possible allergens of seemingly ignorant brat-girl and possibly supersaturated teenage angst.
I’m opening the supposedly lighter summer read season with this at times not quite so light story. I admire how the author manages to integrate several current topics into this plot that at the surface appears to simply deal with a girl’s road to self-discovery. This is an elegant all-in-one pleasant read that might surprise the casual reader with as few unexpected insights. I personally wouldn’t have minded as last minute fill-in myself if the substitution eventually proved himself to be such an improvement to the initial situation.

Are you a “disagree in my head” person or a “loudly disagree” person? And how often do we question if the “I’m fine” reply is actually the truth or simply what we want to be true to get on with things? I’m curious about your thoughts and teasers; let’s have them in the comments.

Still, if you were going to lose either way, it’s better to lose without saying anything so it can’t be held against you later.
— Chapter 24

“Don’t you dare,” Theresa said as she put a handful of fries in her mouth. “It’s my story and mine to share if I want to, which I don’t.”
— Chapter 25

On the off chance that your definition of sway needs as much of a brushing up as mine did when I started reading this book: “Sway helps you make money and money helps make you sway. But sway is not money.” This is conveniently printed right on the first page. It is not quite related to or involving a swing set unless you want to get metaphorical in how on a swing the harder you push something away the stronger it comes back. Disclaimer: This will only work to a certain extend in real life but seems to be utterly successful in literary genres of a particular persuasion.
Nevertheless, this is a very interesting read in that it presents the point of view of the often coveted bad boy, who really is a bad boy in the sense that he commits all kinds of grey-verging-on-black-area misdemeanours. I had a hard time to find an angle to sympathise with him and I think I only succeeded to a certain degree. I still think that the girl is way too good for him and should run screaming in the other direction rather than try to rehabilitate him. He knows this and is in constant wonder of her goodness and possibly later of the fact that she probably likes him more than she should. This is what gives this story an aspect that you don’t see too often. Sure there is a variation of the “I’m not good for you, you should stay away” and the girl then boldly declaring that it doesn’t matter because the guy is inherently good, but here he actually tries to let her be (so some extend). I’m not making excuses for him, because he has made most of the choices for himself and in my opinion should dig himself out of them on his own.I suppose that it is okay for him to receive help as there are outer circumstances that influenced his behaviour. The network he built and dedication to his work are remarkable but not necessarily a good thing to aspire to though.

Can you tell me of a book from the point of view of the redemee rather than the redeemer where the rooting for the redemee is easier because s/he had no other choice rather than has taken the easier choice? Let’s hear from you in the comments!